Abstract
Studies on broadband adoption are just beginning to emerge and are exploratory in nature. Progress has been made to develop conceptual models to understand the adoption of broadband from the consumer perspective. However, in order to test the conceptual model of broadband adoption, a reliable survey instrument is yet to be developed and validated. Therefore, the overall aim of this research is to validate content of the broadband adoption survey instrument from the household consumer’s perspective. The objectives of this chapter are: first, to ensure that the identified constructs and their respective items adequately cover relevant dimensions of factors that affect consumers in the domain of broadband adoption; second, to determine whether the identified constructs and their respective items adequately cover relevant dimensions; and third, to conduct a pre- and pilot test on the resulting survey instruments in order to obtain feedback leading to improvements in the final questionnaire. The initial items for each construct were identified from both the technology adoption literature and exploratory studies on broadband adoption. Validation of the identified items was then performed employing a variation of a quantitative approach to content validity. The findings obtained from the content validation are then presented and subsequently discussed. Finally, emphasizing the limitations of content validation concludes the chapter.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Facilitating Conditions Resources: The perceived level of resources when subscribing to broadband (Ajzen, 1991).
Behavioral Intention: A consumer’s intention to subscribe (or intention to continue the current subscription) and make use of broadband Internet in the future (Ajzen, 1991).
Hedonic Outcomes: The pleasure derived from the consumption or use of broadband Internet—for example, the entertainment potential of the Internet via offerings such as online radio, streaming audio and video, electronic greetings, online games, and online casino (Venkatesh & Brown, 2001).
Primary Influence: The perceived influence from friends and family to subscribe to and use (or not to subscribe and use) broadband Internet services (Venkatesh & Brown, 2001).
Content validity: The “degree to which items in an instrument reflect the content universe to which the instrument will be generalized” (Straub et al., 2004).
Utilitarian Outcomes: The extent to which broadband Internet usage enhances the effectiveness of household activities such as undertaking office work at home, children’s homework, information or product search and purchase, and home business (Venkatesh & Brown, 2001).
Secondary Influence: The perceived influence of information from secondary sources such as ads and news on TV, as well as newspapers, to subscribe to and use (or not to subscribe to and use) broadband Internet services (Venkatesh & Brown, 2001).
Relative Advantage: The degree to which broadband Internet is perceived as being better than its predecessor, narrowband Internet (Rogers, 1995).
Knowledge: The perceived level of knowledge about broadband Internet, its risks and benefits (Venkatesh & Brown, 2001).